Fish-lure.



P. L. GLARKSON & 0. P. HUMMON.

. FISH LURE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 1, 1913.

1 131 9090 Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Zo whom it may concern v m n ea ner rrot a ere-asses mass 1 umertntatm mcam, nce t t a --.E TWBFS MANWNWRWfiCQM Ng Welt 9310, e. ooaroaarronon lSpecification of Ilettere Patent.

Application filed flugust 1, ram. vserial Ito. 7532,4435.

Be it known that we, Fnonian-L CLARK- soN and Osoan P. HUMMON, citizensof the United States of America, res d ng at Leipsic, in the county ofPutnam and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fish-Lures, of which the following is a specification,reference bemg had to the accompanying drawings.

' This invention relates to improvements in fish-baits or fish-lures,and the primary ob-' ject of the invention is to llprovide a device ofthis character which wi simulate, as far as possible, the appearance andmovement of a live bait, to the end that the sameynll possess unusualkilling. qualities.

The foregoing object s accompl shed by constructing the bait body toclosely resemble. the body .of a live bait and provided w th a rabbetedfront lower end from which extend rearwardly and upwardly-arrangedgrooves, the sides of which serve as planes when the bait is drawnthrough Water to cause the bait to dive in the manner of natural fish,and further, to provide the front end of the bait with air-contamingcavities, resembling in appearance eyesockets, but which will, in thedlving operation, imprison or pocket a small portion of air, which isreleased when the bait resumes a horizontal position, and the airescaping in fine bubbles to the surface, produces a result closelyresemblin the breathing action or exhalation of a sh.

With the foregoing, and other objects in View, the invention consists inthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of partsconstituting the invention to be hereinafter specifically described andillustrated in the accompanying 'drawings which foi'm a part hereofwherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, but

it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can beresorted to which come within the scope of the matter hereinafterclaimed.

In the drawin s in which similar reference numerals in icate like partsin the different es, Figure 1, is a View in side elevation of afish-bait or lure, embodying this invention; and, Fig. 2, is a front endelevation of the same.

The body a of the fish-lure is shaped somewhat like a minnow or othersmall fish,

and is-provided in the front end thereof with a screw-eye b and at therear end with ,a screw-eye b.

.,tached a cluster The front screw-eye 6 serves asa point of attachmentfor the draft l ne, whlle to the rear screw-eye Z) is atfish-hook 0.Along .the med an line of the under side of the body portlon a are apair of screwveyes b to which are attached cluster-hoods c. Inthe head aof the body portion a are a pa r of recesses or cavities a which underordinary circumstances, are positioned .to simulate 0r resembleeye-sockets, but under ordinary clrcunistances, no instrumentalities areplaced in these sockets, they being .left open at their forward. endsand closed at their rear ends for a purpose to, be later described.Extending transversely across the under half of the front end of thebait is a rabbeted portion (5 which is to simulate or resemble, as faras possible, the mouth of a fish, with the portion below the rabbetedportion corresponding to the lower aw of a live fish and the portionabove the rabbeted portion, the upper jaw thereof.

Extending rearwardly and upwardly fromthe lateral termini of therabbeted portion at are grooves d preferably stopping short of the up erportion of the body portion a and with t e side walls of the grooves dconstituting planes for a purpose to be later described.

In operation, this fish-lure is used in the same general manner as allartificial bait, that is to say, by drawing the same through the water,the action of drawing the bait causing the water to engage the inclinedwalls of the channels 025' which constitute planes for this purpose,resulting in a lowering or diving motion of the bait below the surfaceof the water, thereby obviating the use of weights to sink the lure therequired distance. At the same time, the bait body is maintained in itsproper position by the weight of the cluster-hoods 0 depending from itslower median line which serve as ballast for this purpose. bait duringthe diving operation creates to a certain extent, a commotion in thewater, and the water passing laterally through the channels (1 is brokenup into small eddies and a whirling action is obtained to attract 105the attention of the fish to be caught.

The diving operation of the fish usually takes place with the head in amore'or less lowered position and as the bait leaves the surface of thewater on which it normally M6? The action of the too floats, thecavities or the sockets a have a tendency more or less to pocket or 1mIlSOIl a small volume of air, which is held t erein throughout thediving operation, but as the bait body resumes a horizontal position orturns to rise to the surface upon the termination of a rapid drawingmovement of the draft line, the imprisoned air within the cavity ofeye-socket a is released in minute bubbles, which rise to the surface,giving the appearance of the breathing action of a live fish or theexhalation therefrom, thereby 'providing a more life-like and naturalbait than would be possible were these eyesockets not present.

I claim 1. An artificial bait or lure comprising a one-piece bodyportion of buoyant material having the lower front end thereoftransversely rabbeted with the front end of the lower portionterminating a considerable distance rearwardly of the front end of theupper portion to form a shoulder, said front upper and lower portionsimulating the upper and lower jaws of a natural fish, said body portionat the sides thereof further provided with rearwardly andupwardlyinclined grooves extending from the corners of said shoulder andwith their op osite termini widely separated, the side wa ls of saidgrooves inclined toward each other to constitute planes for assisting inthe diving operation of the bait.

2. An artificial bait or lure comprising a one-piece body of buoyantmaterial provided near one end with an o en-ended recess of properformation an of suflicient depth to imprison or pocket a quantity of airtherein during the diving operation, the walls of said cavity being sodisposed with respect to the outer face of the body portion of the baitas to permit the escape of airwhen said bait is below the surface of thewater and in an approximately horizontal position.

Signed at said Leipsic, Ohio, this twentyfourth day of July, A. D.,1913, in the 1 presence of the two undersigned witnesses.

FLORIAN L. CLARKSON. OSCAR P. HUMMON.

Witnesses:

A. A. SLAYBAUGH, F. M. HUMMON.

